Survival vs Primitive lifestyle

I'm sure this subject has come up before.

In my little mind there is a difference between survival situations and living a primitive lifestyle or practicing primitive skills.

Survival is using to the utmost any and all resources to one end, survival.

Indeed, primitive skills and learning to endure harsh circumstances will certainly aid in that endeavor.

But, I feel that in the places I go and doing the things that I do the Number 1 survival tool that I have with me at all times when I am out is:

A charged cell phone.

Yes, I'm going to have a knife or three and a means of making fire. In the truck or boat I'm going to have more than that but none of those things are going to get my butt out of a crack faster than one bar on a cell phone.

There are not many places where I can't get a signal. Granted, I am a flatlander and flat water fisherman so it's very hard to be out of range of a tower. I've had to stand up on the console and hold the thing up in the air as high as I could but I could still get a signal.

One of my friends (yes, I have friends) called one day. He was out across the bay and his motor wouldn't start. It was getting dark. In ten minutes I was on my way on the hour and half drive and one hour boat ride to get to where he was. Fortunately, he called back in fifteen min that the motor was running. I drove on toward the boat ramp until he called that he was back. Two reasons the cell phone worked. He called for help, and he called back that he didn't need help. If you call the boat tow service they take your credit card number over the phone before the leave to come get you. If the Coast Guard comes to get you, they are likely going to get you and leave your boat there. So calling a friend is a good option to have.

Even hunting, text messaging keeps everyone abreast of what you are doing and where you are. Yes, it's not like Kit Carson did it but this ain't the 1800s either.

Now, with that said. There are times when I like to do things the old way. I really like that. The charged cell phone is still present. You never know when playing Injun is going to turn into a survival situation. When it does I want to be able to get Life Flight in to the closest LZ available.

That is a worst case scenario but it ain't a survival situation until then.

The second most important tool in a survival situation is right between your ears. If an outing goes survival, building a fire or making a fish spear might not be your first priority. Administering first aid or swimming for shore might be high on the list depending on where you are.

Thinking rationally (and calmly) and acting on that rational thought is #1. #3 son is a firefighter/paramedic. The first thing they do when they get to someone's survival situation is to secure the scene. You cannot help anyone or help yourself is your area is not secure. Then you can go to work.

That's when your skills come into play. Obviously, if EMS is there things are looking up. But in other situations you may have to make that splint, or stop that bleeding or get someone or yourself to shelter. That is where the primitive play is going to get really important.

Like cutting a stick to get that cell phone up high enough to catch a bar.

Alan

I have to agree......To a point.
You could make the point that cell phones will help you and ANY survival situation.
Like running out of gas at midnight in the ghetto.

Primitive lifestyle may include "survival scenarios"...the same as any other kind of living.

Primitive skill may help you out if the all important cell doesn't work....for many reasons.

That's were the similarities end.......IMO

Cell phones are a tool same as a knife, fire,poncho, compass.......

My personal belief is way too much emphasis is placed on electronic devices, rather then knowledge in your head.....and skills that have been learned and practiced.
This is scary to me.

Quick question....
How many knives do you carry?....How many methods for fire?

How many cell phones?

Two to Four knives (like today, trip to town, no belt knife or original Leatherman), one magnesium fire starter (keychain), two cell phones.

Actually, I carry one cell phone with me all the time (not for survival but for business and mostly in case #1 wife wants to nag, uh, tell me something). I have another flip phone that stays in the truck or goes in a plastic bag in my pocket on the boat. My smart phone goes in a Pelican box on the boat. If I fall out of the boat, it will probably drift away faster than I can swim to catch it. I wear a kill switch cord when I am running. The phone will be dry when I get to shore.

If you plan for needing the cell phone then you'll have a better chance of it being there if you need it.

I am certainly not suggesting that anyone should rely on their electronic device and not develop other necessary skills as well.

When I'm running through new water (new to me) I've got to watch the shoreline for landmarks, channels, cuts, etc. so that I will know how to get back. You can't rely totally on the GPS because it can fail. If you've watched going in, you'll know how to get out.

Alan

Oh, and periodically, even though I don't smoke, I will buy a bic lighter to keep in the truck and/or boat. When I go camping, I have more ways to make a fire than I ever make fires.


On those lines, I did purchase a gizmo that takes care of both tasks. It's a BioLite stove. You fill it full of sticks and push the button. The rechargeable battery starts the fire and once it's going it recharges its own battery and then will charge your cell phone while you cook supper or stay warm. It's the size of a 1 qt canteen.

Alan

Hummmmm.....Rechargeable battery.....seems a trend here.
Can you leave home without you device..?

Just a personal example where a cell going dead...had been a long day.....and separated for the charger...with an old phone hard to find a cord for it.
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...844-Close-call

Oh sure, I can leave home without it, and have on occasion. But, why? I don't take it so I can check my Facebook page but to be able to get in touch with someone in an emergency or to be gotten in touch with if there is an emergency (that happens more than I'd like). And it's got a camera.

I read your link and it is one of the big reasons I carry the phone with me. If nothing else it gives #1 some piece of mind knowing that I can keep my life insurance premiums paid up anywhere I go. But seriously, the phone is there and it's a very useful tool. Yes, there is another gizmo that I carry in the truck although it wasn't bought with survival in mind.

When my dad was in the nursing home and on the way out, I was spending all my time there and a lot of it on the phone to family, doctors, insurance cos, etc. so I was using up battery. It 's a device about the size of a c-cell batter, is rechargeable and has the life of a regular phone battery. It recharges off of the wall or a USB port. And yes, I carry charger cords in the truck. The BioLite has USB port and coincidentally the same connection as my phone(s).

I enjoy the outdoors and really I can think of nothing worse than being in a situation where I can't enjoy myself there. When I was young I would just wade off into the thick stuff and work things out in there. Nowadays things are different. Age has stolen a lot from me in doing the things I used to do.

In the end, for me, having the phone in a plastic bag in my pocket is no different than have the sharp knife in my pocket, or gas in my gas tank.

Incidentally, I have the rechargeable jump starter in my truck (two of them actually). Both of them have USB ports as well.

About five years ago I began using a CPAP machine. I went on one camping trip without it. I was miserable. I can't say enough about how the quality of my life has been improved by using that machine. Presently I use a small portable generator or a power inverter on the truck when I'm out beyond extension cord reach. But I noticed a portable unit in which the rechargeable battery pack and humidifier fits on top of my head with no wires or tubes.

All of these things allow me to keep doing the things I love doing and that were not such a big deal when I was young. I know that there will come a day when I'll go on a journey to a place where there are no ills, no toils, no danger… but until then I am my own responsibility.

Alan

I realize this is a survival forum, and believe me, I'm all in on that. I love that stuff. Self sufficiency is what I do every day and the whole primitive skills thing is a lot of fun, but reality in a true live or die situation leaves no margin for anything less than my "A" game. And that game is played with every modern convenience or contrivance that I can afford.

But, If something like an EMP were to happen (and our little Phat Phriend Kim is sprinting in that direction) all the electronics would not work, right. But I know that there would be a whole bunch of people would be trying very hard to get it back up and running, and when they did, getting information would be very important.

Noe if there only some electronic thingy for insomnia.

Alan

Alan, I agree with much of what you said.

Since this is a survival forum, we get many people that use the term survival when they should probably be using the word primitive or minimalist. We hear the terms survival camping, survival this or that quite often. I guess that marketing really does work.

It is hard for a few people to fathom that by learning and practicing skills, planning and being prepared you actually prevent a survival situation. Preventing survival situations should be the goal of all that wander into the wilderness.

you make great points, and yes for the most part would be lost with out a phone..
however Many of the places I go to Practice "survival"
I do not have reception, and many miles away from civilization..
But yeah I enjoy my time in the wilderness practicing skills and being "primitive" or minimalist, I just enjoy the feeling and being apart of Nature in that way.
But in a true survival Situation having aphone would be likely one of the most useful things..
But yeah honestly We go out there to practice and leave the phones at home or at a base location For a reason, to really just immerse one more into Nature.
Personally I like being off the grid for that Time and not have the distractions, Its more like leisure to me, sure hard working leisure, building shelters finding food, getting water, making fires with out a lighter or matches so forth.

I'm with you. I've been in a lot of places where I cannot get service but that is usually short lived. One thing I do carry everywhere and I do brag on this a lot is an Anker backup battery. It's incredible how long the charge lasts on that thing. If my cellphone battery is shot I just plug it in and recharge it in no time. I don't have to use it a lot but it sure is handy when I do have to rely on it. Pretty cheap too for 15,000 mah.

https://www.anker.com/products/taxons/107/Batteries

Out here in the Rocky Mountains, cell phone service can be very spotty depending on just where you are when you try to use your phone.

That's why it is best -- at least in the mountain areas -- to always have good "get-through-the-night" gear, and the skills to use your stuff to get out of a dire situation.

I use the best gear I can afford and don't worry much about being "primitive." As a "senior man" growing up in a very rural area in the Ozark Mountains, as a matter of course when I was a kid bustin' around out in the forests and deep woods, most of my gear was kinda primitive anyway, as the great equipment available today did not exist then. My buds and I just did with as we had... and enjoyed ourselves. :thumbup1:

S.M.

We had a family here use a cell phone in an emergency survival situation.
They got lost in a local corn maze and panicked....
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/44875752/n.../#.WWEWpoqQyRs

Running out of gas in the ghetto at midnight, did you know there are places Triple-A won't go? Even in Daylight? Had that happen once in a small town out in Western MA of all places. Nope, we don't go there. Ended up calling the local police line (not 911) and asking for a local tow service number. These days, it's a long walk to find a public pay phone, so the flip-phone cell stays in the glove box. The work cell phone though has a bad habit of developing bad reception and mysterious losses of power on the weekend. Can't figure that out. :innocent:

From my point of view and my only point.........survival starts when the battery dies......
Otherwise you are a phone call away from rescue.....which means late for supper.

I do prefer to spend some time and effort on a plan "B"....that involves more that a charged battery.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hunter63

From my point of view and my only point.........survival starts when the battery dies......
Otherwise you are a phone call away from rescue.....which means late for supper.

I do prefer to spend some time and effort on a plan "B"....that involves more that a charged battery.

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I wondered what to post in this thread. Hunter sums my opinion up just fine. Thank you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by madmax

I wondered what to post in this thread. Hunter sums my opinion up just fine. Thank you.

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Your welcome....
It's like someone saying,....."I'm gonna go surviving...this week end with my buddies...."
No...You are going camping....
"Survival" is when things go sideways.